Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Sheffield Hallam University
Future Bathroom
This research focused on the development of a methodology for fostering co-design dialogue between designers, researchers, and older people (aged 50+), with chronic age related health conditions that lead to disability and frailty. The research programme ‘Future Bathroom” (Chamberlain P.I.) was funded by a £480K EPSRC award in partnership with Ideal Standard Ltd. The aim of this research was the development of methods and tools to support an inclusive design agenda as well as inform design responses.
The bathroom presents a challenging context for user-centred design as associated activities are generally considered very private and personal and hence rarely discussed. Significant was the formal engagement of older community ‘lay’ researchers in the project. This approach was the focus of a keynote lecture at Tsinghua University’s conference on ‘Design Innovation for Product breakthrough’, Beijing 2010. Related positioning papers on user-centred design research methods have been presented at the International Design Conference, Croatia (Design Society 2010) and the Sixth Annual Design Conference, Washington State University (2010). Findings from the research were published in the Journal of Integrated Care (2011) and Design Journal (2012).
The projects contribution to the sustainability agenda was recognised through keynote presentations; ‘Taking Stock, Building methods for Building Environment Research’, ‘Greenbridge’ Conference, Cambridge University and the Sustainable intelligent Manufacturing Conference and publication, Portugal (2011). The collaborative methodology was presented and published in the proceedings of the IDA World Design Congress, Taiwan 2010. The project featured in the 2010/11 Foundation for Assistive Technology, Annual Parliamentary Report. Findings from the research informed the design of a portable bidet funded through Devices for Dignity, NIHR. Further funding from through the British Council ‘s UK-Turkey HE programme (2012) in collaboration with Istanbul Technical University and VitrA, continued the enquiry through the loo-lab project which explored further the cultural aspects of bathroom use.
